Algeria has summoned the French chargé d’affaires in Algiers and ordered the expulsion of 15 staff members from the French Embassy, citing serious violations of diplomatic norms and procedures.
According to Algeria’s official news agency APS, the decision stems from what authorities described as “repeated and grave breaches” by the French side. The Algerian Foreign Ministry accused France of appointing diplomatic and consular personnel without prior notification or proper accreditation, actions that violate both international standards and bilateral agreements.
Among those being expelled are two employees affiliated with France’s Directorate of Internal Security, who allegedly entered Algeria using falsified diplomatic documents.
This move follows a pattern of escalating diplomatic tensions. In early April, Algeria expelled 12 French embassy employees in response to the arrest of an Algerian consular worker in Paris, accused of involvement in the kidnapping of an opposition figure. France retaliated by expelling 12 Algerian diplomats and recalling its ambassador from Algiers.
The latest expulsions come despite recent attempts to ease strained ties. A late March phone conversation between Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and French President Emmanuel Macron, followed by an April 6 visit to Algiers by French Minister of State for Europe Jean-Noël Barrot, had signaled a willingness to restore cooperation.
However, diplomatic relations between the two nations remain fragile, shaped by ongoing tensions and unresolved grievances dating back to France’s colonial rule in Algeria from 1830 to 1962.